Tesco donates frames and lenses to charity Vision Aid Overseas

Tesco has donated thousands of brand new frames and lenses to Vision Aid Overseas following the sale of Tesco Opticians to Vision Express.

In the decision announced in December 2017, Tesco, sold their optical practices to optical retailer, Vision Express.

Emma Biggs, Category Buying Manager, Tesco Opticians told us;

We wanted to ensure all our remaining stock was sent to a good cause, so we decided to support Vision Aid Overseas, a charity that enables people living in poverty across Africa to access affordable eye care services and glasses.

It is estimated that over 1.2 billion people worldwide can’t see properly simply because they need glasses. 89% of those effected live in low and middle-income countries.

In many countries around the world, there isn’t a culture of wearing glasses and sometimes a lack of understanding of the need for or benefits of wearing them. There can also be stigma and discrimination, particularly for girls who are sometimes seen as unmarriable if they wear glasses. The work of Vision Aid Overseas, aims to develop a world where, everyone, everywhere has access to clear vision. We aim to achieve this by working with government ministries in our partner countries to develop locally based eye care services that can be delivered by trained local eye care workers at affordable prices.

Andy Holliday continued,

The donated frames and Lenses from Tesco will be used to support our Vision Centres in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Ethiopia so that we reach more people like Patrick (pictured) in Sierra Leone.

With new funding, we are extending access to eye care and improving eye health for school children and adults in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. We have updates, long-lasting change is on its way for thousands of people!

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